CHADD Staff Meets with Obama-Biden Transition Team

CHADD is pleased to have met twice with President-elect Barack Obama’s transition team to discuss issues of importance to people with AD/HD and related disorders.

On Thursday December 18, 2008, Cindy Smith, CHADD’s public policy specialist, joined representatives from the National Center for Learning Disabilities and the Learning Disability Association in a meeting with members of President-elect Obama’s transition team, including Kareem Dale, Disability Coordinator in the Public Liaison and Intergovernmental Affairs Department, and Sharon Lewis, Department of Education Agency Review Advisor, and Marcie Roth, Civil Rights Agency Review Advisor. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the transition and broad policy issues. During the meeting, CHADD, NCLD, and LDA provided broad recommendations on education and healthcare.

On Monday, December 22, 2008, Cindy Smith joined representatives from national organizations representing all segments of the disability community in a second meeting focused on healthcare policy. The group met with Kareem Dale, Marcie Roth, and Henry Claypool, Health and Human Services Agency Review Advisor. John Podesta, co-chairman of President-elect Obama’s transition team, joined the meeting. Issues discussed during the meeting included the integration of mental healthcare and physical healthcare, access to technology and durable medical equipment, access to the community, the need for meaningful consumer input into healthcare decisions, Medicaid home- and community-based services, public health programs, and prevention of secondary health conditions.

On Wednesday, December 17, 2008, CHADD CEO Clarke Ross participated in the Center for Mental Health Services/SAMHSA listening session on transition. CMHS Director Kathryn Power and the entire senior CMHS staff participated in the session with members of the Campaign for Mental Health Reform and Mental Health Liaison Group.

CHADD has submitted the following recommendations on healthcare policy to the Obama-Biden transition team. Click here to read the recommendations.

Updated December 23, 2008

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